Ink blower



March 10, 1959 H. DIAZ INK BLOWER Filed Sepli. 21, 1956 Fi e. 6.-

INVEN 10 HENRY DIAZ ATTORNEYS United States Patent INK BLOWER Henry Diaz, Covina, Calif. Application September 21, 1956, Serial No. 611,268 3 Claims. (Cl. 137-594) This invention has to do with rotary printing presses such as'used. for printing newspapers, magazines and the like.

Rotary presses usually embody a detachable ink box or container which mounts upon a member providing a flat surface with a plurality of passages terminating at the surface. Tubes lead from the passages to carry ink to the required parts of the press. The ink box has an apertured bottom wall, the apertures being designed to register with the openings or passages in the surface of the member upon which the box is mounted. The box incorporates valve means for selectively closing the apertures in the lower wall thereof.

A difficulty with the above-described arrangement is, that when the ink box is changed for the purpose of using a different color or type of ink, it is some time before the old ink drains from the ink tubes. The present invention is concerned with means for rapidly expelling the old ink from the tubes so that a new ink box and supply can be mounted on the press within a short period of time.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a novel apparatus for use in expelling ink from the ink tubes.

Another object is to provide a device adapted to mount on the press in place of the ink box when the latter is removed for the purpose of providing a convenient means of supplying air under pressure to selected ink tubes for the purpose of expelling ink therefrom.

More particularly it is an object to provide a device having a plurality of air supply tubes arranged to register with the ink passages in the member of the press from which the ink tubes lead, the air supply tubes being provided with a quick-coupling device for the attachment of an air supply hose.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following description. Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, showing fragmentarily the portion of a printing press upon which the ink box is mounted and an ink box thereon;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a device embodying the invention mounted in place of the ink box;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the device of Fig. 2, the view being partially broken away;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the lower end of a tube mounted in the base of the device; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the corner of a portion of a press showing a modified arrangement for attaching my device thereto.

More particularly describing the invention, large rotary printing presses of the type used in printing newspapers and the like usually have a portion upon which an ink box or ink supply container is mounted and from which various ink tubes run to carry the ink to the various parts of the press. In Fig. 1,- 11 designates such portion of a press, and this is shown as comprising a body 12 which has an ink box mounting surface 14 upon which is shown an ink box or container designated 15 (Fig. l). The ink box is detachably secured by means of cap screws 16 which pass through holes 17 in member 11 and thread into threaded bores 18in the box.

The body 12 at the surface 14 is provided with'a plurality of apertures designated 20 which are the outer terminus of passages, not shown, forming a continuation of the ink tubes 21.

The ink box has holes (not shown) in its lower wall which register with apertures 20 and is also provided with valve members 24 for the purpose of closing" such holes.

When it is desired to change the color or type of ink, the box 15 is removed and replaced by another box containing the required ink. Before the new ink supply can be used it is necessary that the tubes 21 be cleared of the old ink, and to accomplish this, I provide a device generally indicated by numeral 25 which is adapted to fit member 11 and be mounted thereon in the same manner as the ink box 15. This device 25 comprises a housing of box-like shape 26 having an upper plate-like wall 27 and a lower plate or base 28, the two being spaced apart and connected by sides 29. The parts 27, 28 and 29 can be fastened together by any conventional means.

The base 28 is provided with a plurality of bores 32 which are located to register with the apertures 20 in the surface 14 when device 25 is mounted upon member 12. Each of the bores 32 is shown counterbored at 32 to receive the lower end of a tube 33, the tubes being secured in the base in any suitable manner, as by solder for example. The upper ends of the tubes pass through the upper plate 27. However, since the apertures 20 are relatively closely spaced, for convenience, I prefer to arrange the tubes so that they are more widely spaced where they extend through and project above the plate 27. In this connection it will be noted that the plate 27 extends laterally or rearwardly beyond the base 28.

At the upper end of each tube I provide a coupling device designated 35, and this may be of any standard type, being for the purpose of enabling the quick attachment thereto of an air supply hose designated 37 which may lead from a source of compressed air or other fluid. The hose 37 is shown equipped with a valve 38 and with a coupling end' portion 39 of a type adapted to attach to the coupling elements 35. I

Although it may not be absolutely essential, I prefer to provide a seal ring around each of the bores 32 in the base 28. Thus, referring to Fig. 5, I show an annular groove 42 in the undersurface of the base 28 concentric with each of the bores 32 and containing an O-ring 43.

In the use of the device 25, the same is mounted upon the surface 14 and may be firmly secured by means of the cap screws 16 which can be received in threaded openings 44 in the base 28. The air hose 37 is then coupled to the tubes 33 selectively and the valve 38 opened thereby sending a stream of air through tube 33 and registering opening 20 and ink tube 21 associated therewith to expel ink from the tube.

In Fig. 6 I show an alternate form of attaching the device of my invention, here indicated by 25A to the press. Here the device is provided with a clamp 50 including a rod 51 pivoted at 52cm device 25A. The rod carries a bracket 53 having a guide 54 adapted to enter the bore 17 in press member 12. The device may also be provided with a locating pin '55 which may thread into bore 44 or be permanently attached. A nut 56 serves to secure the parts. It is contemplated that a clamp would be provided at each corner of device 25A for the quick mounting and removal of the same from the press.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claims.

. I claim:

1. A portable device for use as described comprising a rigid housing including a base plate and an upper wall in spaced relation and means rigidly connecting the same, said base plate having bores therethrough, a tube mounted at its lower end in each of said bores and terminating within the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of said base plate, said tubes projecting through and beyond said upper wall, and a coupling at the upper end of each tube for the attachment thereto of an air supply conduit or the like, the lateral spacing of said tubesin said upper wall of the housing being greater than the lateral spacing thereof in the lower wall thereby providing working space between said couplings.

2. A portable device for use as described, comprising a rigid housing including a'base plate having bores therethrough in laterally spaced relation, a tube mounted at its lower end in each of said bores, said housing including an upper wall, said tubes extending through said upper wall, the lateral spacing of said tubes in said upper wall being different fromthe lateral spacing ofthe tubes in said base plate, a resilient seal ring mounted in the undersurface of said base plate around each bore therein and projecting below said undersurface for sealing engagement with a surface, and a coupling at the upper end of each tube beyond said housing for the attachment thereto of an air supply conduit leading from a source of air under pressure.

3. A device for use as described, comprising a housing including a base plate, said base plate having bore holes therethrough, said housing having an upper wall spaced from said base plate, a tube mounted at its lower end in each of said bore holes and extending through and beyond said upper wall, a resilient seal ring mounted in the undersurface of said base plate around each bore hole therein and projecting below said undersurface, a coupling at the upper end of each tube for attachment thereto of -an air supply conduit or the like, and means carried by said device for detachably securing the same to an extraneous member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Peters May 11, 19 54 

